Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-06-16
.NATURAL GAS.
A Suggestion in REGARD to Public
Improvements and How They
May be Carried on Without
mourning a Bonded lndebt-
0An000

From the Emporia Republican.
Eloquent speeches and revival meet
ings are no doubt useful in preliminary
way, but it requires money and well di
rected energetic efforts to build city
Opinions and discussions about natural
gas or any other element that can be
made to aid in building up city is of
little use except when backed by energy
and dollars. Whenever there is diversity
of opinion among men that cannot be
harmOnized and blended into we'll direct
ed. active efforts to accomplish purpose,
enterprises like the discovery of natural
gas are sure to fall beneath the upper and
neither mill stones of the cOntending in
fluences and become ground into worth
less dust. The discovery of natural gas
in considerable quantities at or near the
city of FmpOria would certainly build up
a greater town than that in which we
now live, provided the gas could be made
practically free for manufacturing pur-
poses. Any attempt to mOnOpOlize so
so valuable product at one point would
unquestionably be met by the building
up of a rival town in it's immediate vi
cinity. 1t is my opinion that the pros
pect of obtaining natural gas in this To-
cality is good, and if found that it can be
furnished at low rates. l am strengthen
ing my opinion in this direction from the
fact that the lime rock in this vicinity
has at some time been raised to the SUR
face by some great underlying force
which could have scarcely been other
than natural gas. Experience has taught
those who have been engaged in the bus
mess of boring for oil or gas, that were
ever an upheaval of this kind exist, drill
ing would lead to the discovery of both,
but in some instances only gas. Should
company be formed at this point for the
purpose of exploring the earth beneath
us, and succeed in discovering either gas,
coal or oil, they would certainly be enti-
tied to some of the benefits to be derived
from the venture if it should prove sue
cessful Right here occurs an OppOrtuni
ty to say something in regard to the man
ner in which cities might satisfactorily
deal with corporations and capitalists who
are seeking investments for their surplus
dollars Corporations or companies might
be formed for the purpose of furnishing
either water or natural gas to cities fran
chises granted conditioned upon the fact
that the city fix the rates to be paid by
consumers and guarantee the interest up
OH the capital invested by these corpor
atoms. Then whenever the city author
tiles shall consider it public benefit to
raise the rates to consumers above the
amount required to pay the interest upon
the capital invested and the attendant
costs, it can be done and the surplus
placed in the city treasury. This would
do away with the greater part of our
bonded Indebtedness and collect the tax
es from the people in proportion to the
benefits received by those who profit by
public Improvements. This coupled with
the general tax would save the city from
issuing bonds for waterworks or any
other purpose, and yet she would not
have to pay greater percentage for the
money invested than she does at present. |
While the corporation owning the fran
chise would be powerless to Cypress the
people they would have a safe guarantee
for the money invested, and the city |
would be acting as she is to-day in the |
of arbitration between the capt. |
talist and the people. When our unex-
celled railroad facilities for transporta
ton of manufactured products are sup
plemented with the advantages of coal |
or natural gas, this city would become
the most prosperous and prominent point
in the state as she has many other advan
tages not enjoyed by other city, and every
foot of country and town within a GER
tain radius must at once become feeders |
to this city by the force of circumstan
ces and natural laws of trade. H. c. w.
AGRICULTURAL REPORT.